Pages

August 29, 2011

I'm guestposting over at The Ginger Diaries, Nikki's lovely blog, while she's enjoying her holiday - unfortunately not in New York, as she had planned. However, Paris seems like a wonderful destination too! Head over there if you'r interested in this strange jacket I'm wearing... And bon voyage, Nikki!

P.S.: Last chance to enter my giveaway, Lovely Readers! Have a go, you still have a day! :)

August 28, 2011

How curvy is too curvy? For comfort, that is. For me, this dress on its own makes me look definitely too curvy for me to feel comfortable walking down the street.

They say that if you’ve got it, flaunt it. However, not only do I have a sizeable and well-rounded rear, I also have sizeable and well-rounded fears of… well, lusty stares. I much prefer when men look at me and feel intrigued by how I look, rather than them being openly reminded of what shapes are underneath my clothes.

I also firmly believe that allure is not necessarily connected to how figure-hugging your dresses are, or how short are your shorts. Sexualising yourselves definitely makes heads turn toward you, but are they the right heads?

There defintely is a dividing line between flirty and slutty, but I think it’s at a different place for each of us. I’m happy to enjoy admiring looks from cute guys, (it’s OK, my Boyfriend is not the jealous type :). For me that’s the dividing line: I wear clothes that inspire looks that make me feel proud, but I don't dress to inspire looks that would make me blush.

What about you? How comfortable are you showing off your curves? How do you feel about stares, catcalls or whistles?

Wearing:

Dress: Gift, (I’d love to have a dress with a lovely big sailor collar… But as I haven’t run into one yet, I turned a very simple dress into a sailor-y one with the help of a little scarf.) Shoes: Vagabond, Drapey thing: Chinese shop, Silk scarf: second hand,

August 25, 2011

The truth is I probably spend the same amount on books as on clothes. I'd love to share some of the books I read and like with you - my first go was the One-Minute Book Review in the sidebar, but I decided to try something different. How best to incorporate book reviews into a style blog? Hmm, dressing up inspired by the book in question didn't seem like a bad idea... So let's give it a try!

Here’s my first subject; SpecialTopics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, a book that I got browsing through my favourite second hand bookshop in Budapest, the Red Bus.

The book has nothing whatsoever to do with physics (luckily, I hasten to add, because then I wouldn’t understand much of it). It’s more a coming-of-age story, but one that’s infused with a dark murder mystery with a really unexpected twist.

The main character, Blue grows up travelling through the US with his academic father, listening to audiobooks and discussing modern philosophy, but when they settle down for her senior year and she makes the aquaintance of an intriguing teacher and a group of students she hangs out with, Blue’s life begins to change. First it only seems like she’s settling into the role of an everyday tormented teenager with boys and booze on her mind, but it turns out there are more secrets and lies around her than the ones she's spinning herself....

This book is more than what you’d expect – I never imagined the range of emotions I went through while reading it, especially towards the end. It’s definitely not a teenage romance, and you come to realise this while your uneasiness continues to grow page by page… As I read on I felt more and more darkness creeping into the story, that's why I accented my innocent, rosy dress with everything black. It’s just like when you think a book is going to be a cat, then it turns out to be a black leopard. Still elegant but much more ravenous. Then you’re caught on the adrenaline and unable to put the book down. I’ve warned you!

-You like main characters who are clever and slightly sarcastic, and girls who stand up for themselves

-You like characters who have their faults and follies, and dislike "good against bad" stories

-You don’t mind if endings aren’t happy, just real

-You enjoy murder mysteries with a difference

-Especially if you’re prone to read the last page, as in this case it definitely won’t reveal the ending.

Favourite quote:

"Remember what I've always said about truth, standing in a long black dress in the corner, feet together, head down?"

"She's the loneliest girl in the room."

"Precisely. Contrary to popular belief, no one wants anything to do with her. She's too depressing to be around. Trust me, everyone prefers to dance with something a little sexier,a little more comforting."

August 23, 2011

Look at all the violets! Lovely Leanna's blog, The Violet Reaction inspired them to spring up all around me and make my outfit significantly more interesting. :) Have a look at the full guest post at her blog!

August 20, 2011

When travelling I often wish I could take photographs by just shutting my eyelids, capturing a scene without a clumsy camera. In a way, I do. I collect pictures from my travels which my subconscious stores for me, to surprise my unsuspecting mind with sometime later.

Memories of cherished places flood me sometimes when my mind is idle, when I'm not concentrating, when I'm sitting on a tram, queuing, washing dishes... These pictures are always unexpected and they bring a rush of feelings with them. I wouldn't describe them as nostalgia for the past, rather a sudden yearning to be in that other place again.

These emotional, evocative memories are just as precious to me as are the consciously treasured ones and share a characteristic with the snow globes I collect from the cities I'd visited - they bring back the essence of a place without actually capturing the likeness of it.

I think this is the feeling Wordsworth wrote about in his Daffodils.

For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude...

August 17, 2011

I could wear this ensemble every day. It's so utterly comfortable and still manages to stay feminine.

I don't know about you but I have huge style-envy when watching 80s movies, as the cuts were so much freer and more allowing. Don't get me wrong, there are a good few classic 80s things I can do without, take for example shoulder pads and glitter... But so many people I see on the streets would feel (and look) better if they wouldn't strain to look streamlined by wearing way too tight clothes, but rather choose garments that are loose but well-cut.

Also, wouldn't it be great if long hair for men came back into fashion?
Yeah I know, I'm strange. :)

Anyway, I feel really free in this shirtdress, which also has an arty vibe for me. Wouldn't it look great with a palette and a brush in my hand? I'd hate to splatter it with paint though. :)

And the accessories that every artist needs: dirigible plum earrings - to enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary...

Meet my new-to-me watch, which I got from a small watchmaker's shop. I've been looking for a watch with metal straps that was sort of unisex and also cheap, and finally I found it!

Wearing:

Shirtdress: Takko, Leggings: Chinese shop, Shoes: Vagabond,

Watch: second hand from a watchmaker, Bracelets: Indian shop and a handmade silver one,

August 15, 2011

Hello to everyone reading my 50th post! Thank you for coming, for looking around, for returning, for commenting, for being such Lovely Readers! I thought a giveaway would be the most fitting to celebrate this nice round number, as this blog wouldn't continue to build and exist even without you all!

So, drumroll, this is what you can win:

A brand new little purse (which could make a great cosmetic bag, pencil case or clutch) and pair of earrings from Jojó Art Shop, where I get so many of my accessories from. Both are original, handmade pieces and both have a little connection to my blog. (I leave that to you to figure out what.) I've been eyeing these lovelies for a while, so I'm so happy to offer them to you!

Look at me offering them! :D

What do you need to do to win them?

Follow Madeline Quaint through the means of your choice, GFC, Bloglovin, RSS, or even clicking refresh every day or so. Just leave me a comment about it!

Anyone can enter who has a valid address on planet Earth. (So if you're an alien from Andromeda, but you have a P.O. Box in, say, Arkansas, don't hesitate to enter!)

Extra entries:

- 1 extra entry to every Lovely Reader who's ever commented on my blog before.
- 1 extra entry for following my patchy updates on Twitter (@madelinequaint). (Those who already follow definitely deserve this entry for their perseverance! :)
- 1 extra entry if you tweet about the giveaway.
If you really don't know what to tweet try this: "A celebratory giveaway I really want to win...@madelinequaint http://madelinequaint.blogspot.com/2011/08/50th-post-lets-celebrate.html"
- You can blog about the giveaway too, if you feel like it, for one more entry.

Please list how many times I should enter you in your comment and don't forget to leave some means I can reach you through!

The giveaway closes on the 30th of August, midnight CET, and the winner will be drawn on the 31st, midnight CET. The name will be drawn randomly, unfortunately not by a trained monkey, but I'll try and do a good job myself. :) I'll post the winner's name on the blog on the 1st of September.

August 12, 2011

This dress I bought second hand last year amuses me to no end. The frills on the shoulders make it look like some sort of an apron - it's so silly! I've been pondering getting rid of the frills, but decided that I love it this way, so they're staying!

How to get a dress wrinkled in no time?
Have your affectionate cat sit on your lap for 15 minutes, works every time! :)

It seems like I'm not only demure but tired as well, I sit down and prompty fall asleep.

Wearing: Dress: second hand, Shoes: some boutique, Belt: from a Promod skirt,

Necklace: Jeans Club, Flowers: H&M.

The next blogpost will be my 50th, so prepare for a cool giveaway! I'm definitely excited!

August 6, 2011

I love this skirt and how the hem moves as I walk or when there's a little breeze. Longer skirts always make me feel more ladylike, and of course I cannot resist twirling in them.

I don't know about you, but when it's hot, one outfit is simply not enough for one day. This skirt is the perfect basis for some "midday remixing", I just put on a different top, belt and lipstick, and I was ready to go out again.

It's the mysterious "Beauty of the..." top, as the end of the sentence hides under the waistline of the skirt. I hope that's not a fashion faux pas, I got it for the mermaid design anyway some years ago. It would be a cool tattoo, wouldn't it?
You must be on tenterhooks over what it says, so I shall reveal the secret - "Beauty of the depths".

On a somewhat unrelated note, let me mention some Beauties of the Blogosphere - thank you so much Nikki (of The Ginger Diaries) and Joni (of StyleaGain) for featuring me on your blogrolls! I'm so so so flattered and so so so happy!
If by any chance my blog is featured on your blogrolls Dear Readers, and I haven't noticed it yet, please tell me, as it really makes my day! And do look through my "Blogs to Love" as well! :)

August 3, 2011

I'm sure you remember how much I've praised the V&A in my previous post. Well, I got these buttons/bagdes there - they were designed by Yohji Yamamoto for the V&A as he had an exhibition there which unfortunately closed a few days before I visited. I couldn't see the exhibition but the museum shop was still full of little souvenirs connected to it, these fun badges among them. Figuring I would probably never be able to afford anything else by Yamamoto, I thought I'd get these badges for half a Pound each.

I'm a big fan on buttons/badges, they can transform a simple piece of clothing to something much cooler. My winter coat has huge lapels and I usually cram them with badges, prompting comments from random strangers like: "Are you a scout or what?". :P

I wore this ensemble to an exhibition opening and a party held by one of my friends, Sophie, and I was really happy to get a few compliments on it. I guess it's fine to keep stuff simple sometimes - most of my rather elaborate outfits fall into the "man-repelling" category. :)

Please disregard my belly. Thanks. :)

So what I wore: Yohji Yamamoto badges plus one from New Yorker, Takko jeans,

second hand top, H&M bolero and shoes from a random boutique.

I'm slowly but surely approaching my 50th blogpost which I aim to celebrate with a giveaway, so stay tuned! :)